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Brunello di Montalcino

Neal Jones/For Vamanos

Posted:
11/15/2012 09:24:27 PM MST

World of wines

To me, wine is an art form. I think it also has the artistic charm that comes from history. That is why I love to research and write about wine. In every country, there is a fun and fascinating wine history. Sometimes the historic tale comes down to the microclimate and individual valley of a particular wine.

Another aspect of the art is how a particular taste is achieved. With centuries of grape cultivation and blending techniques behind one kind of wine. Then you'll have a particular way to rack a grape, or like with ice wine, leave it on the vine past full ripeness for the frost to extract some of the water.

For the winemaker, one aspect is the canvas, the brushes and the scene in front of him. Then he makes colors and textures with the materials he is given to produce his art.

In the world of art, few places can rival Tuscany for the artists it has produced. Famous creative Tuscans include: Dante Alighieri, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Simone Martini, Galileo Galilei, Antonio Meucci, Giacomo Puccini, and Giovanni da Verrazzano.

For artistic wines from Tuscany, few rival the red wine known as Brunello di Montalcino.

Brunello di Montalcino can rival any Italian wine in price, it is among the most costly of all Italian reds. Named for the Brunello grape, a clone from the Sangiovese grape that has been cultivated into its own identity. The specific grape dates to the mid-14th century.

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The wines made from the Brunello began to distinguish themselves apart from wines made with Sangiovese, particularly the Chianti wines made further north near Florence, in the 1800s. It was in 1888 when Ferruccio Biondi-Santi released a batch of Brunello di Montalcino that was barrel-aged for 10 years. From then on, vintages were produced by all the wineries in Montalcino.

Brunello di Montalcino became legendary during World War II as Allied forces spread the news of vintages found in cellars. But, it wasn't until 1968 that Montalcino vineyards were granted the Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) status. The reason why that came so late is because the area making Brunello di Montalcino is not very large. In 1968 there were only 11 winemakers producing that particular wine.

Brunello di Montalcino has grown from around 800 acres of vineyard in 1968 to nearly 3000 acres today. Most the vineyards are around the hills of the highest point of Southern Tuscany, Mount Amiata, at an average elevation of 1500 ft. It is the driest and warmest microclimate in Tuscany.

To earn the DOC, the wine must be aged a minimum of 4 years before release, 3 of which must be in wood barrels. I have only heard of oak wood used to age this wine, and I doubt any winery there would try anything else. The rules also state that the wine must achieve at least 12.5 % in alcohol prior to release. To be considered a "Riserva" Brunello di Montalcino, it must be aged at least 5 years.

The specific process of making the Brunello di Montalcino is different than the Chianti Classico. The wine goes through a long period of maceration, the period when the juice sits with the grape skin that is longer than most red wines. The maceration process is also chemical with an oxidation and a release of phenols from the skin that contribute to the wine. In making Brunello di Montalcino, the longer maceration is sometimes heated to aid in bringing out more color and flavors. The result is a very dark red wine.

The difference between a Brunello di Montalcino and a Chianti Classico is Brunellos are bigger. Big flavors, big tannins strong fruit flavors and bigger spice than Chianti. Some versions will have dried fruit flavors and tealeaf, or even tobacco and cedar in the bouquet.

These are excellent wines at release and will improve over the following 7 years. These wines will keep for many more years but the improvements will scale back and not change much from year to year after the first 12.

These are fairly rare wines, but I did find a 2001 for $42 in Colorado Springs. That was a particularly good year for Tuscan wines. Another good vintage that is available is 2003, which will run around $60 a bottle today. I found one Riserva online from 2003 that was selling for $150 out of California.

These wines will trade well if you can keep them in your cellar. A $40-dollar buy in 2004 will sell for over $120 a bottle today. If the vintage year is well known, the prices will go even higher for this wine.

To me, the Brunello di Montalcino is the definition of "Super Tuscan" wines. Hundreds of years in developing the canvas, pampering the ingredient from vine to vat to barrel, then five years of letting the art set before it comes to the gallery. A great example of why I say, wine is an art form.